Stories by Louis Ibah
It can indeed be traumatic for friends or families that have lost a loved one, especially if they have to transport the remains across countries or states by air and they are ignorant of how to go about it.
Without doubt, the processes or requirements by both airlines and regulatory agencies are indeed very cumbersome.Those who have gone through the process can attest to the fact that freighting human remains is not in any way as easy as a passenger buying an air ticket online or at an airline counter and on the departure day, strolls into the airport, gets a boarding pass and flies to the target destination.
But you can rest assured that airlines and regulatory agencies know that suffering the loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult and trying times in life and that whatever steps they take to air fright human remains are not devoid of compassion, but rather geared at the safety of passengers, crew and the aircraft.
Daily Sun spoke with some airline officials on the subject and it was learnt that while some airlines (local and international) would appreciate working directly with the bereaved families or friends, others would prefer that the transportation of human remains by air be handled by a funeral service providers. To such airlines, they are more comfortable working directly with the funeral homes and having them contact the relevant authorities to obtain all required authorisations and organise the transporting of the remains from the mortuary to the airport and onto the aircraft.
Key requirements in Nigeria
In Nigeria, airlines’ and civil aviation regulations makes it mandatory for all human remains to be air freighted to be issued with a death certificate stating cause of death by a medical doctor. In the same way, an Embalming Certificate/Embalmer’s Affidavit issued by the Funeral Home indicating the manner in which the body was prepared is also a key requirement to air freight of human remains in Nigeria.
Airlines don’t agree to transport an unembalmed remains because of the high possibility of fluid leaking into an aircraft which in aviation regulation is considered a biohazard.
Also following the outbreak of the ebola virus and the attendant death to Nigerians, the Federal Ministry of Health also makes it mandatory for airlines to demand a health certificate from a hospital or doctor that shows the deceased as ebola negative. In fact, the outbreak of any major epidemic places an additional burden on airlines to ascertain the cause of death on all human remains to be air freighted and to report same to the government. The reason is that infectious substances are considered as dangerous in air transport, and any human remains of which the cause of death is infectious diseases/substances is not accepted by airlines.
Human remains are usually carried in the cargo compartment of the aircraft.
Caskets should be clearly labeled with the following information: Air Waybill number, name of the deceased and the destination.
And it is compulsory for the casket containing the deceased to be properly sealed – or odour tight – to ensure no leakage of the pungent odour associated with the chemicals used in preserving the dead. What is most preferred is a hermetically sealed casket,or a metal container or combination unit in order to prevent shifting and the escape of strong odours. Airlines would be so pleased that other contents or baggare in the cargo compartment are not contaminated with any offensive odour emanating from the contents in the casket. Human remains must also be accompanied by somebody – either a member of the family, friends or colleagues. Most airlines would reject flying a human cargo unaccompanied. There must be strong evidence that there is someone on board the flight that has taken the responsibility of the cargo and would also remove it at the final destination. Airlines also prefer that the other passengers on board the aircraft do not notice the presence of any coffin or casket on the flight. As such, caskets are required to be thoroughly covered by blankets to conceal the content.
And in order to allow the hearse or ambulance that conveys the casket entry into the airside of the airport, it must carry a rotational or amber light.
Cost
The transportation costs and therefore the commercial prices for human remains are a bit higher than other luggage because airlines will do everything they can to get minimise errors because there is nothing worse than a misplaced human remain or a damaged casket.
In Nigeria, cost of air transport for human remains hover between N190,000 and N225,000. It could also be less as the cost can be negotiated between airline and customer.
Other factors like the distance to airport could influence final price. Some airlines can lower cost if the customer agrees to handle the payment of airport charges. Airlines would always get approval from the NCAA before charging and freighting any human remains.
But for those wishing to more quickly transport a deceased loved one, chartered plane services are another option. This is typically the most expensive option available, with costs running up to N5million or more. A chartered jet can transport your loved one anywhere there is an airport or a landing strip long enough for a safe touchdown of the aircraft.
However, the cost of transporting remains internationally, say from the United States of America to Nigeria may be in the region of $10,000.